Focused Passage

Judges 5:12-18

Deborah and Barak's Song: The LORD's Victory and Israel's Covenant Response

Judges 5 moves from a summons to praise the LORD for willing leaders and volunteers, through remembrance of His Sinai-like coming and Israel's covenant collapse, into tribal accountability, divine victory at Kishon, Jael's decisive blow, the humiliation of Sisera's household, and a closing prayer that the LORD's enemies perish while those who love Him rise like the sun.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

12‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’

13Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.

14Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.

15The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

17Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.

18Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 12

Original words

Awakeעוּרִ֤יH5782Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularawakeעוּרִי֙H5782Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularO Deborahדְּבוֹרָ֔הH1683Noun - proper - feminine singularAwakeע֥וּרִיH5782Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularawakeע֖וּרִיH5782Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularsingדַּבְּרִי־H1696Verb - Piel - Imperative - feminine singulara songשִׁ֑ירH7892Noun - masculine singularAriseק֥וּםH6965Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularO Barakבָּרָ֛קH1301Noun - proper - masculine singularand take hold ofשֶׁבְיְךָ֖H7628Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularyour captivesוּֽשֲׁבֵ֥הH7617Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularO sonבֶּן־H1121Noun - masculine singular constructof Abinoamאֲבִינֹֽעַם׃H42Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

Thenאָ֚זH227Adverbthe survivorsשָׂרִ֔ידH8300Noun - masculine singularcame downיְרַ֣דH3381Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularto the noblesלְאַדִּירִ֖יםH117Preposition-l | Noun - masculine pluralthe peopleעָ֑םH5971Noun - masculine singularof the LORDיְהוָ֕הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularcame downיְרַד־H3381Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularto meלִ֖יPreposition | first person common singularagainst the mightyבַּגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃H1368Preposition-b, Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Verse 14

Original words

Some came fromמִנִּ֣יH4480PrepositionEphraimאֶפְרַ֗יִםH669Noun - proper - masculine singularwith their rootsשָׁרְשָׁם֙H8328Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralin Amalekבַּעֲמָלֵ֔קH6002Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singularBenjaminבִנְיָמִ֖יןH1144Noun - proper - masculine singularcame with your peopleבַּֽעֲמָמֶ֑יךָH5971Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularafter youאַחֲרֶ֥יךָH310Preposition | second person masculine singularThe commandersמְחֹ֣קְקִ֔יםH2710Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralcame downיָֽרְדוּ֙H3381Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralfromמִנִּ֣יH4480PrepositionMachirמָכִ֗ירH4353Noun - proper - masculine singularthe bearersמֹשְׁכִ֖יםH4900Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralof the marshal’sסֹפֵֽר׃H5608Noun - masculine singularstaffבְּשֵׁ֥בֶטH7626Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructfrom Zebulunוּמִ֨זְּבוּלֻ֔ןH2074Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 15

Original words

The princesוְשָׂרַ֤יH8269Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularof Issacharבְּיִשָּׂשכָר֙H3485Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singularwere withעִם־H5973PrepositionDeborahדְּבֹרָ֔הH1683Noun - proper - feminine singularand Issacharוְיִשָּׂשכָר֙H3485Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .כֵּ֣ןH3651Adverbwas with Barakבָּרָ֔קH1301Noun - proper - masculine singularrushingשֻׁלַּ֣חH7971Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singularinto the valleyבָּעֵ֖מֶקH6010Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularat his heelsבְּרַגְלָ֑יוH7272Preposition-b | Noun - feminine dual construct | third person masculine singularIn the clansבִּפְלַגּ֣וֹתH6391Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural constructof Reubenרְאוּבֵ֔ןH7205Noun - proper - masculine singularthere was greatגְּדֹלִ֖יםH1419Adjective - masculine pluralindecisionחִקְקֵי־H2711Noun - masculine plural construct. . .לֵֽב׃H3820Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or much searching of heart; also in verse 16
Verse 16

Original words

Whyלָ֣מָּהH4100Interrogativedid you sitיָשַׁ֗בְתָּH3427Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularamongבֵּ֚יןH996Prepositionthe sheepfoldsהַֽמִּשְׁפְּתַ֔יִםH4942Article | Noun - mdto hearלִשְׁמֹ֖עַH8085Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructthe whistlingשְׁרִק֣וֹתH8292Noun - feminine plural constructfor the flocksעֲדָרִ֑יםH5739Noun - masculine pluralIn the clansלִפְלַגּ֣וֹתH6391Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural constructof Reubenרְאוּבֵ֔ןH7205Noun - proper - masculine singularthere was greatגְּדוֹלִ֖יםH1419Adjective - masculine pluralindecisionחִקְרֵי־H2714Noun - masculine plural construct. . .לֵֽב׃H3820Noun - masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

Gileadגִּלְעָ֗דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularremainedשָׁכֵ֔ןH7931Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularbeyondבְּעֵ֤בֶרH5676Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructthe Jordanהַיַּרְדֵּן֙H3383Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularDanוְדָ֕ןH1835Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singularwhyלָ֥מָּהH4100Interrogativedid you lingerיָג֖וּרH1481Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularby the shipsאֳנִיּ֑וֹתH591Noun - feminine pluralAsherאָשֵׁ֗רH836Noun - proper - masculine singularstayedיָשַׁב֙H3427Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularat the coastלְח֣וֹףH2348Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct. . .יַמִּ֔יםH3220Noun - masculine pluraland remainedיִשְׁכּֽוֹן׃H7931Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularinוְעַ֥לH5921Conjunctive waw | Prepositionhis harborsמִפְרָצָ֖יוH4664Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 18

Original words

Zebulunזְבֻל֗וּןH2074Noun - proper - masculine singularwas a peopleעַ֣םH5971Noun - masculine singularwho riskedחֵרֵ֥ףH2778Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular. . .לָמ֖וּתH4191Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructtheir livesנַפְשׁ֛וֹH5315Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularNaphtali, tooוְנַפְתָּלִ֑יH5321Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singularonעַ֖לH5921Prepositionthe heightsמְרוֹמֵ֥יH4791Noun - masculine plural constructof the battlefieldשָׂדֶֽה׃H7704Noun - masculine singular

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